First triumphal day at Paris 2024 Paralympic Gameswith a shower of medals – two gold – on the blue swimming and a bronze in the cycling which is also the medal number 600 at the Games for Italy.
The flurry of victories began under the eyes of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarellawho chose the Defense Arena as a match to attend as the first fan of the Italian teams.
The Azzurri’s magic series was opened by Simone Barlaamwho in front of the head of state won the first swimming medal in the 400 Freestyle S9just missing out on gold, won by the French Ugo Didier. The 24-year-old from Milan was very emotional at the end: «In front of my family, this fantastic audience, Mattarella, the first President of the Republic to come to a Paralympics… truly a great emotion» were his first words.
Then it was the turn of the 29 year old from Puglia Victoria Whitewho won bronze in the 400 sl S9.
After her, bronze also for the Paduan Francesco Bettellaback on the podium after Tokyo and Rio, in 100 back S1. Third bronze, therefore, for Angela Procida24 years old, from Campania, in 100 back S1. Silver, again for the great Italian swimming team, to Efrem Morelli in the 50 frog SB3.
In the evening, the rain turned into a torrent of medals, the most precious ones: a beautiful victory for Carlotta Gilli in the 100 butterfly S13first Italian gold at the Paralympic Games. The 23-year-old from Turin, already gold in Tokyo, confirmed her Paralympic title by beating the American Serious Noah’s Ark and the Uzbek Muslima Odilova. He immediately did the most beautiful encore Francis Bocciardogold medal in 200m freestyle S5.
Already reigning Paralympic champion after his success in Tokyo, Bocciardo completed the race in The Defense Arena with a time of 2:25.99marking the new Paralympic record and beating the neutral athlete Kirill Pulver and the Ukrainian Alexander Komarov“I didn’t think I could win – commented the Italian, who has won his third gold medal since Rio – because my opponents were very strong but in the end I managed to resist and win once again.”
The closing of today’s program still brings loot for Italy, thanks to the bronze of Boggioni in the 200 freestyle S5. Glory also in track cycling, with the victory of Lorenza Bernardwho won bronze in the tandem pursuit with David Plebaniin the role of pilot. Theirs was Italy’s first medal at the Paris Games and the 600/a for the Italian Paralympic movement. At the end of the first day, they have already become 608.